Constant
by Glorytommy
Summary: All Katsuo wanted was something she could call her own. All Gene wanted to do was be that something. [Gene x OC]. Takes place before during and after the events of Ghost Hunt.
1. Chapter One - Forebodings

**A/N;** Welp, here it is! I'm really excited for this one, I think it'll be pretty good (hopefully), and interesting too. Now, this story is going to probably end up breaking into two parts (if not more). The first part will be based in the Ghost Hunt universe, but the second part is going to be a crossover with an anime by the name of Psychic Detective Yakumo. In my opinion these two are like the PERFECT animes to do a crossover of. If you haven't seen PDY yet, I highly recommend it. If you have, you might see why they crossover later in this fic. If you don't plan to watch it, that's fine, but it may or may not get confusing in the second half if you don't. I'm going to try my best to make it so it's not necessary, but I'm not perfect. Haha. But I mean, let's face it, you'll probably have plenty of time to watch it though with how slow I am at updates. Hehe. Plus it's only 13 episodes. Just sayin'.

Anyway ~ Pay Attention to the time indicated at the beginning of each chapter. This story skips around a lot timeline-wise. "Current" takes place three years after Naru's return from England after finding Gene's body, where he spent two years. Which would put him and Mai at around... 22/21 respectively? Yeah, we'll go with that... and just to make it easier to keep track, at "current" the year will be 2014.

* * *

**Chapter One** \- _Forebodings_

**Time: Current [August 2014]**

Belief was a funny thing. The realist would say that seeing was believing, but the idealist would say that believing was seeing. Truth be told, Katsuo was neither of these.

In her opinion, seeing something didn't necessarily make it real, and belief, no matter how strong, did not have the power to work on anyone but the person who used it. In the case of followings, it was merely the _influence_ of a person that made the belief spread.

Everyone saw things differently and everyone believed things differently. To say otherwise would be to deny the way the world worked. Nature was chaotic and random, and every part of it was different. No two stars were the same, and nether were two people.

No matter how similar they were, they were always just as different. Each strand of DNA was coded specifically to that individual, and anomalies like identical twins aside, no two strands were the same.

Her point to this train of thought, was that if no two people were the same and anything that was seen or believed differed between each individual, what was to say that anything was truly real?

Nothing in life was consistent. Words varied from culture to culture and belief systems changed and adapted themselves every generation. People died. Nations fell. Worlds burned. What tangible thing was there to hold on to?

With lips pressed into a thin line, Katsuo stared at the retreating landscape with an intense glare. She wasn't a particular fan of cars, and it didn't help that this particular car ride was two hours long. To say that it put her in a bad mood was an understatement, and no doubt her current train of thought was her mind's attempt to think of something other than how much she wanted to climb out of the vehicle and walk. It was only the fact that it'd take half a day on foot to reach her destination that kept her buckled in.

Removing herself from the window, the young woman turned to her right where her companion sat, his honey eyes looking out at the scenery longingly. Contemplation was written all over his features, a rare sight seeing as he usually hid his thoughts behind a feigned good nature. Something that had taken him a good while to perfect. Even without having to ask, Katsuo knew exactly what was going on in his mind. It was a side effect of the bond they shared.

"Reminding you of home?" she questioned offhandedly as she leaned back, gaze casually landing on their driver through the rearview mirror. He looked just about as exhausted as she felt.

"Of course," Yoshida confirmed, pulling his attention away from the view to fix her with that idiotic up-to-no-good smile of his. "There aren't many places that have been kept so close to their original state... I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a bit nostalgic."

Katsuo nodded thoughtfully, her own emerald eye took in the lush forest around them, understanding what he meant. She knew that Yoshida felt out of place with today's skyscrapers and metal transportation. She could see why he missed the horses and small villages of the past. He was an old soul after all. She had to admit that the view was beautiful. Peaceful even. She was never really one to spend much time to stop and smell the roses, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate them.

"Look," Yoshida ordered breathlessly, pointing to the large looming castle approaching in the distance.

Following his line of sight, Katsuo smiled ever so slightly at the excitement that practically rolled off her companion in waves. "I bet now you _really_ feel at home."

"You could say that..." he smiled, genuinely this time.

To be far, the place was breathtakingly beautiful. An architectural masterpiece cut into the mountain side, surrounded completely by a healthy and ancient forest. It was easy to see, even from a distance, that grate pains had been taken to keep it restored to it's former glory.

The stone and wood fortress stood tall, both standing apart from and being _of_ the mountain. Like most of it's time, it had been made with the same materials that had been taken from clearing the mountainside itself. Surrounding the large building as a moat, that had no doubt been made by diverting a nearby stream of some sort. The bridge over the water was small, but had been reinforced and widened so that a car could easily pass over it on both sides.

The building itself sat atop of tall, steep sloping stone walls which in the past had been used to keep out invaders. Above that, the main portion of the building rose four stories high, white walls reflecting the sunlight. A balcony overlooked the courtyard, sitting just atop of the castle's front door, which one could only get to by making a trek up it's steep stone steps.

"Don't forget what we're here for," Katsuo reminded Yoshida, snapping out of the temporary sense of wonder that he had swept her up in. In that moment she had felt his nostalgia and forgotten herself. Sometimes the effects of their bond were annoying that way. She couldn't afford for her thoughts to wonder too far.

Clearing his throat, the man leaded back in his seat. A frown gracing his features. "Don't worry. I know exactly how important this is."

Fixing him with a calculating look, Katsuo felt herself sigh. She hadn't meant to ruin his mood, but they weren't there for sightseeing. Their freedom rode on this mission, though she wasn't entirely sure if she could trust what they were walking into. She wasn't sure why, but it felt like things weren't what they seemed to be. Powerful foe, or no, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was another reason she'd been sent here. She just hadn't figured out what yet.

Sensing her concerns, Yoshida reached over and gave her hand a squeeze, earning him an annoyed look, to which he ignored. "I don't trust them either... Whatever happens here we'll get through together. We always do," he assured, giving her that stupid grin.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't pull her hand away. "As cocky as always."

He shook his head and winked at her. "Not cocky. Confident."

Leaving it at that, Katsuo let the car fall into silence the rest of the way to the castle. When the taxi finally stopped at it's destination she immediately stepped out of the car without hesitation, while Yoshida took time to give the driver their thanks. Fortunately, one of the perks about working for her former associates again was the fact that they paid for transportation. She wasn't sure what exactly the cost had been to drive them all the way out here, but she knew she didn't want to be the one to pay it.

Patting the top of the taxi, Yoshida stepped back enough to let the car drive off before letting out a sigh of his own and turned to face her. "Ready?"

Instead of answering, Katsuo brushed passed him and lead the way towards the front entrance. From up close, the place looked even more lavish and imposing. Though, while from afar the place had looked restored to match it's past, up close it was easy for her to see the new editions to the place. To most they wouldn't be too noticeable, but for her they stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Cameras," she notified Yoshida lowly as they passed by a man in a dark suit,-one of many security guards that littered the place. They'd met a few at the palace's main gate at the start of the many acres before the palace. They seemed to only talk when necessary, much to the ever talkative Yoshida's dismay.

"They're probably all over the place, sadly," he added, confirming he'd seen them. Of the few things they agreed on, their dislike of cameras was one of them.

Pausing just before her foot hit the stone steps, Katsuo's indifferent look went serious as a familiar feeling of darkness slithered down her spine. "Do you feel that?"

"Demon," Yoshida agreed, eyeing their surroundings. "I can't tell where it's coming from... but..."

"It's power is almost suffocating," she finished for him, not looking pleased in the slightest.

* * *

**A/N;** Hope this got you interested! I'm sure it's given you a lot of questions, but don't worry, it's supposed to. All shall be revealed soon enough. Do let me know what you think so far. It helps with inspiration.


	2. Chapter Two - Wounded

**Chapter 2 -** Wounded

**Time: December 2013**

_The space around Katsuo was dark and cold. From where she stood she could see nothing, hear nothing. She was completely alone, and with every passing second she found herself drowning in her thoughts. Her fears, her worries, her sorrows... they all took form in the darkness, tendrils wrapping around her arms and legs, making it impossible to move. Her body was both numb and on fire all at the same time, but the pain was nothing compared to the squeeze the darkness had on her heart._

_She stood like this, breathless and lost for what felt like ages, and cursed herself for once believing that she could escape her fate... that she could leave the darkness. Foolish. Because of her, the one person who'd given her something to hold on to had gone and it was all her fault. No matter how much stronger she became, the universe wouldn't let her change. It was dumb to believe otherwise. To do so was to bring upon more death._

_Tears. She hadn't noticed it at first, but tears fell from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Had she really grown so soft? For every tear dropped, the darkness tightened around her, suffocating her and cutting off her airway. Was this it for her? Was it the end?_

_As the darkness threatened to swallow her whole, a reflection of light caught Katsuo's attention. Focusing her blurred vision, the woman squinted, realizing there was an apparition walking toward her. Her thoughts were hazy at first as she struggled to remember, but eventually she recognized him. The boy from her dreams as a child with looks that mirrored her own. Though, he wasn't really much of a boy anymore._

_He reached for her, and at the same time she some how mustered the strength to extend her arm toward him. He was so bright, bathed in a light she hadn't known existed. Just as the tips of her fingers almost brushed against his, they hit glass instead and cracked it._

* * *

The first thing that Katsuo registered was that everything hurt. Every muscle ached, and her whole body screamed for some kind of relief. She couldn't breath without having to use short, quick inhales... and even that stung like a bitch. Her ribs were definitely broken no doubt. With her mind so focused on her pain, it took her a moment to realize she was moving... or, correction: she was being carried.

Looking up through lidded eyes, she stared at the familiar face of Yoshida, caked under a collage of blood and dirt. He looked about as terrible as she felt, even if most of his wounds were flesh ones. She wasn't sure how much of the blood on his face was his or hers, and something told her that she probably didn't want to know either.

Behind the grime plastered to his hair and skin, Katsuo could see the exhaustion and worry written across his features. Interestingly enough. Yoshida didn't make expressions like that often... but she supposed their situation called for it. "Wha..." she found herself trying to talk, but the words wouldn't come out. All she could taste was blood. She grimaced just as Yoshida glanced down at her.

"Don't speak," he ordered, a deep frown present. Katsuo would have scoffed at him, had it not hurt so much. She was usually the one giving the orders. "I'll get you somewhere safe, I promise."

Something flashed across his face that she couldn't decipher. For once it seemed he didn't want her to know what he was thinking, and she had no energy to press him. So, ignoring him for a moment, her gaze glanced around at the moving landscape. The sight of thick woods and no sign of civilization made her wonder just how long she'd been out.

"Twelve hours," Yoshida answered her unspoken question, the arms holding her up gripping around her tighter. "You lost a lot of blood... You almost..."

He didn't need to finish his sentence for her to know what he was trying to say. She'd nearly died. A fact that she didn't find very surprising. And she didn't need to hear it in his voice to know her companion was beating himself up about it. That's the kind of idiot he was. Blaming him for something he had no hand in. She had been completely ready to die... and perhaps that made her a fool too.

Without a word, Katsuo fought through her pain and lifted a hand up to lightly touch Yoshida's face, the tops of her fingers brushing against his cheek. Her nerves protested greatly, but she pushed through, her heterochromia eyes narrowing at him. _It's not your fault,_ she expressed as hard as she could.

Yoshida paused in his trek and leaned into her hand, letting all his worry and pain flow between them. She was fully aware that he didn't take well to loosing the people he'd sworn himself to, but the flood of emotion that came from him nearly had her in tears. And she hated crying.

Katsuo knitted her eyebrows together and with all the rest of her strength she smiled at him through a split lip. "Idiot," she nearly chuckled through a dry throat. The use of her vocal cord caused a coughing fit, which put her through momentary agony.

"_Don't speak_," Yoshida repeated, annoyance crossing his face. "...At least I know that if you have the energy to insult me things can't be too bad," he added with hidden amusement. Of course, that wasn't the case at all, but she knew when he was trying to comfort her. He needed it more than she did though.

Suddenly feeling faint, Katsuo's smile fell as her head began to lull to the side. All her energy suddenly gone in an instant. Was it possible to feel this drained? "Satoshi?" she heard Yoshida call, his voice getting distant.

* * *

As soon as Katsuo passed out for the second time, Yoshida continued his earlier trek up the mountain side with renewed vigor. He wasn't sure how long she would last if he didn't find some help soon, but he wasn't about to stand around and find out.

Burning her wounds closed had brought him enough time to escape their pursuers, but now it was becoming evident that the price for that safety was a delay in getting his master the help she needed. Local hospitals were not an option. The Clan had eyes everywhere.

At the sight of smoke in the distance, Yoshida pushed forward even faster. Smoke meant civilization, and in such a remote part of Japan he was more than sure they would be safe. And even if they were reported, he couldn't keep their escape up much longer. Every moment spent running was another moment Katsuo teetered between life and death... And if she died... Well... it wouldn't be a good experience for him either.

As Yoshida drew closer to the smoke, the outline of a large, lone building stood against the rising sun. It was simple and clean, except for the tall statue of the Virgin Mary perched in the courtyard. It didn't take much to realize what he must have stumbled on. A convent of all things... Shit.

Not having many other options, he sucked up his feelings about the place and headed straight for the front door. As soon as he was close enough, he shifted Katsuo into one of his arms and knocked as loud as he could without splintering the door. "Hello? I need help! Please!" He did his best to make his face as panicked and pitiful as possible. "Hello?! S-She's hurt really bad!" Distress came a lot easier to feign that he'd thought... but perhaps he was only half pretending.

After his ninth knock, the door was ripped open to reveal an older woman in a bed robe, her expression turned from annoyance to shock at their bloodied state. "Good God..." she muttered softly, and for a moment he thought maybe she'd shut the door in their face. They were, after all, two strangers mysteriously covered in blood... but, to her credit, the woman opened the door wider and motioned him inside.

* * *

How was that? Still confused I hope? Hehe. Next chapter we'll go further back into the past and check out more of her backstory, I promise.

Hope you like it so far though.


	3. Chapter Three - Davis

**Chapter 2 -** Davis

**Time: April 2008**

Katsuo met him for the first time on a rainy day. Tired, annoyed, and fed up with certain people in her life, she stood with her back pressed against the fence of a vacant construction site, and forced herself to glare up at the cloudy sky between the raindrops that fell onto her face. With no jacket or umbrella, Katsuo felt the rain seep through her sweater and soak her dark gray, shoulder length locks.

She didn't attempt to run for cover like most people, instead choosing to just let the droplets weigh her down one by one. The oversized green sweater she'd thrown on sagged off one shoulder, heavy with rain water, but she made no move to fix it. This was in part due to her laziness, as well as her indifference. Besides, she had been standing there since before the rain had started and with the way things were going would probably be standing there even after it stopped.

Katsuo didn't care for the rain much, but she didn't really have the motivation to move. Her muscles ached, and she wasn't ready to head back to The Clan. She wasn't really in the mood to see Calvin either... that bastard.

Diving deep into her thoughts, she hadn't noticed the boy's presence until he had already placed his umbrella over her head, an action that had her uncharacteristically flinch. Lips pressing together, she recovered almost instantly and fixed him with a look that held one part curiosity and two parts annoyance.

The male couldn't have been more than a year or two younger than her, and held himself in a way that said he was unsure if even he knew why he had walked up. To her dismay, his blue eyed gaze stared at the right side of her face with interest and she cursed herself for forgetting to cover her right eye. The red iris that it held had always given her trouble, and though she hardly cared what people thought of it, it made it easier not to stand out if she didn't show it.

To his credit though, the stranger didn't comment on it. Instead, he fixed her with a kind, if slightly timid, smile. "You'll catch a cold out here like this."

Caught off guard by the genuine concern that he seemed to give her-a complete stranger, Katsuo's frown deepened, "What's it to you?"

Eyes widening at her slight hostility, if one chose to call it that, the young man's mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish. "I... I mean... I, uh..." Clearing his throat, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Nothing, I guess... but I seem to have a bad habit of sticking my nose where it doesn't belong." He admitted, his free hand going to absently run through his black locks.

"That's a bad habit..." she commented offhandedly, arms crossing under her chest.

"You're one to talk," he laughed, quickly changing it into a cough at the look she gave him. Glancing off at nowhere in particular, he let a soft smile fall back on his lips. "So..."

"What?" Katsuo questioned with a sigh. She wasn't entirely sure why he'd stop to talk to her and part of her really didn't care. At least, she supposed, he wasn't hard to look at. They guy had a kind of boy-ish charm to him... if you were into that.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He tried to press... though the way his voice almost raised an octave at the end showed he doubted she'd follow through with telling him.

He was right, of course.

"What do you care?" She found herself snorting, glancing off at the same nothing with him.

"What do you care what I care?" He countered, grinning. She glared again, causing another awkward cough. "I mean... does it matter?"

"You came over here for something, right?" No one ever walked up to a stranger just because they could. Everyone always had a reason for interacting with her. Always.

For some reason, her words brought confusion to his face. "Do you expect everyone to expect something from you?"

"Don't you?" she asked, in slight confusion of her own. She didn't understand what was so surprising about her statement. Most human interactions were created simply for the reason of wanting something from one another. It was the basis of socialization in her opinion. She'd never met a man who didn't have an agenda.

"….Can't someone just do something out of the kindness of their heart?" he questioned, fixing her with a weighted gaze.

Kindness of the heart? Katsuo would have laughed at this if he hadn't looked so serious. "Not in my experience," she found herself answering truthfully. From what she'd seen, human kindness was merely a product of something else. Whether it be for self-satisfaction, or a tool to gain what a person was _really_ after. Once a person was satisfied, kindness was easily done away with.

It was the stranger's turn to frown, a look of slight depression crossing his features. "I'm sorry to hear that," he told her, and oddly enough he _did_ look sorry. She hadn't meant to sound negative, per say, she was just stating the obvious... or at least, what she believe the obvious to be. Just by looking at him, though, she realized he probably didn't agree.

Shifting under his saddened glance, Katsuo uncrossed her arms. "So, what is it that you want?" she asked again, rewording her earlier question.

Eyes narrowing a faction, the male's lips pressed into a thin line as he thought. Not in any hurry, Katsuo let him mull the question over, actually finding herself curious on what he would answer with. Her curiosity only grew when the smile he wore before formed back onto his face. "To give you this," he answered finally, and tentatively placed his umbrella into her hands.

Perplexed, Katsuo opened her mouth to reject the object, but the moment it was in her grip, the boy dashed off into the rain and around the corner, out of sight. Had she the will or the energy, she would have run after him... but Katsuo had neither at the moment.

Instead, her heterochromia eyes glanced down at the umbrella's handle, the surface still warm from it's previous owner.

* * *

**Time: A Week Later**

The next time she saw him, she was on mission. At a shrine of all places, if one could still call it that. It was small, family owned, and hardly taken care of anymore. The recent generations had let the place fall apart to the point where none of them even knew how to take care of the place anymore.

The ground hadn't been weeded in centuries, grass growing wild and untamed, housing small creatures that scampered away at the sight of her. The t_orii_ stood tall, but slanted to one side, carvings of lovers and hoodlums etched into it's thick wood. Past that, the stone steps laid uneven against the ground, old tree roots raising the stone at odd angles and the pathway toward the main shrine shared much of the same fate, cracks of disrepair fanning out like outreaching fingers.

To the left of the path, the water in the _ch_ō_zubachi _had all but dried up, aside from a small puddle of mossy rain water that smelled putrid even from a distance. The _t_ō_ro _were all but nonexistent, most of them having crumbled to stumps of their former selves. Further past the chōzubachi, the _Kagura-den_ blended into the rest of the scenery with nearly every inch of it covered in weeds and vines. A young oak tree pushed against the side of the open building, threatening to collapse it's outer columns.

It was a wonder how the _komainu_ had lasted the beating the rest of the shrine had gone through. Only a little weather worn, the two lion-dog statues sat proud and ever guarding just outside the _Haiden_. Sentinels in a wasteland seemed to come to mind.

Katsuo didn't have to wonder why the place couldn't be sold when it was in such a state. She could see why the locals had referred to it in her briefing as Hell's Gate. Technically, with the enshrined God having moved locations generations ago, this place was no longer sacred. Hence part of the reason for the lot's disrepair. It wasn't far fetched to assume that the devout had believed once the place had been stripped of it's God it had been easily corruptible.

It was said that not even the most powerful of priests had been able to cleanse the grounds, and a few suspected it is because the place had been damned even before the God was moved. Theories differed for this in all honestly, but most agreed that there were spirits trapped there, unable to escape. What had once been a place for the departed to find peace and move on, had turned into a prison.

The perfect breeding ground for a demon.

Hence her reason for taking a look at the place. Rumors were really the only thing she had to go on in her line of work. Luckily for her though, the obvious fakes were filtered out before she even got assigned to the task. And for an added boost of conformation, Katsuo could sense something dark the moment she stepped on the premises.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't the only one there. In the Haiden, three people paused in their conversation to stare at her with confused faces... and, as fate would have it, umbrella boy happened to be among them.

"Can I help you?" questioned a plump man in a tidy business suit, a handkerchief covering his mouth and nose. If her information was correct her was probably Takamura, Jirou, current owner of the property as well as it's realtor.

"Perhaps," Katsuo nodded, ignoring the look of recognition that crossed umbrella boy's face, as she unbuttoned the stupid blazer she's been made to wear to play her part. (And for the record, she wasn't a big fan of the heels either.) "Takamura-san, I presume?" Plastering a tight smile on her face, she extended her hand out to him. "Satoshi, Katsuo. My client heard that you were taking steps to cleanse this place? They might be willing to take this plot off your hands should the problem be dealt with."

A mix of suspicion and surprise crossed the older man's features as he reached for her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Client...? Pardon me for saying, but aren't you a bit young-"

Katsuo raised a hand and reached into her pocket for a business card. It read 'Hatzu Real Estate Brokers' with a phone number that would be answered by her cover, and a url to a website that had probably been put up the night before. To say The Clan was thorough was an understatement. "You can call to verify if you'd like. You're not the first person to ask that. That's the cost of good genes I suppose," she lied, mentally blanching at the cheery attitude she had to portray.

Seemingly satisfied for now, Jirou nodded thoughtfully. "My apologies Satoshi-san. Please tell your Client that a cleansing is in progress." He smiled, gesturing to the two others in the room, "Tanaka-san, has stepped in from a neighboring shrine to help, and from what I understand Davis-san here is a rather talented Psychic."

"A priest and a psychic? Interesting," Katsuo nodded in greeting, only half interested in the information. She shook each of their hands, still ignoring the look umbrella boy was giving her.

Her attention was focused on the Priest, who had happened to be staring at her a little too intensely since the moment she'd entered the room. What were the odds that this man actually had spiritual powers, she wondered? For all those in the priesthood, only a few could actually back up their claims. If he could however, he would definitely be a problem.

She didn't like problems.

"Do you mind if I observe? It would give me a chance to get a better look at the area and I've always been curious about this kind of thing."

"It might not be safe, considering what has been transpiring here." The priest warned wearily.

"Tanaka-san, please. Do not scare the woman," Takamura coughed, obviously afraid of scaring off his only business.

Katsuo shrugged, crossing her arms. "I am already aware of this place's history, I'm sure I can handle myself."

* * *

Per the Priest's orders, everyone was made to line up against the far wall while he set up for his ritual. Takamura had decided to stand in the corner furthest from the action, worry and anxiety poorly hidden on his face, while Katsuo and umbrella boy had taken the liberty of standing directly behind Tanaka.

"So..." Davis, as he had been introduced, trailed off, giving her a curious side glance. "Real estate agent?"

"…." Not answering, she kept her eyes focused on the priest's movements, interested in seeing if there was really any merit to his abilities. Mentally Katsuo sighed at the comment. In the back of her mind, she wondered what the odds where of meeting him again, especially in a situation like this. What was even more interesting to her, was the fact that he was psychic... or at least claimed to be. And again, what were the odds?

Undeterred by her silence, and seemingly a bit more confident than the other day, the young man smiled at her. "I wouldn't have pegged you for one."

At this, Katsuo raised a brow, momentarily pinning him with her emerald gaze. "Considering we've only met once, I wouldn't have expected you to."

Rubbing the back of his neck, he chuckled out a "Touche," before falling into a short awkward silence. His blue gaze never leaving her face. Realizing he was staring, he coughed. "….Real Estate Agent..." he repeated, and it was obvious from the way he said it, he didn't believe it.

"Think I'm lying?" she questioned offhandedly, never one to beat around the bush. With the other two men in the room not paying them much attention, Katsuo didn't feel the need to keep up her fake cheerful facade. He'd already seen her terrible personality anyway.

"Wha... I..." he stuttered, finding it hard to outright say he thought she was a liar. "It's just. I could have sworn you were my age," he admitted after a moment of contemplation, shrugging lightly.

"How old are you?" she found herself asking out of hidden curiosity.

"Fifteen."

Ah, so he was a year younger than. "So young..." she teased, something she didn't find herself doing too much. He flushed at the comment, and satisfied with the reaction, for a reason unknown to even her, she continued talking. "What is a fifteen year old doing hanging around a shrine priest?"

He seemed to mull over her question before he answered it. "Learning about Japanese supernatural culture. Particularly Shinto exorcisms and purification."

Only then did she really pay attention to him, noticing the very light accent in his words. "Are you not originally from Japan?"

"I am... technically. It's a little complicated. I've spent most of my life in England, though, if that answers your question," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I see," was Katsou's reply, eyes refocusing back on the priest who was about to begin his ritual. Now that she thought about it, he had been introduced as 'Davis' which was no doubt not a Japanese surname. That by itself didn't mean much though, as it could have been possible that his mother had just married a foreigner. It made sense why he stood out so much now. Charming looks aside.

"So what's your story."

At the sudden question, her frown deepened. "Hm?"

"You don't really bat your eyes when anyone mentions stuff about ghosts or the like..." he elaborated, before adding, "usually people are more skeptic."

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Katsuo sighed. She hated when people asked to many questions. "There's nothing to tell..."

"Oh come on. There must be something."

"No," she insisted more firmly, promptly ending the discussion. Memory lane was not a place she wanted to be down anytime soon, and especially not with someone who she just met. Her experience with the supernatural was something that had always been anything but pleasant. Not surprising, given her line of work. She didn't exactly deal with 'nice ghosts', after all.

Having successfully shut umbrella boy up, Katsuo watched Tanaka as he burned incense on a low table and began shaking an _ōnusa_ about the room in a wide arch as he chanted on old incantation. To her displeasure, the more he chanted, the thicker the air became around them. The others couldn't see it, but a black miasma began forming in the room, swirling around them like mist. Discreetly, Katsuo swept her dark gray bangs out of her face to reveal her red eye and get a better look at their surroundings. Something didn't feel right.

"Have you sensed anything?" she found herself asking umbrella boy, who'd started to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. He had grown noticeably paler compared to just a few moments ago.

This time it was his turn to be caught off guard. "Hm?"

With a sigh, she elaborated, turning to face him briefly. "He said you were a psychic." She wasn't the type to trust the validity of a statement from just the proof of word to mouth, but on the off chance that he was actually psychic, a little insight would have been nice.

He shook his head, attention briefly going to her exposed right eye. Yet again, to her surprise, he didn't comment on it. "Oh... um seen? No. Nothing yet. But sensed? Well..."

They both tensed a little as the room grew cold and she nodded him to continue. "Go on."

"There's some serious dark energy here. The air's getting really _thick_," he told her, echoing her original observation. He gave her a slightly worried look. "Honestly, this doesn't feel right. Maybe you should step outside."

Katsuo tried her best to hold in a snort. "Don't worry about me."

Before Tanaka's ritual could draw to a close, the old wooden floorboards unexpectedly began to shake and Katsuo felt the overwhelming presence of a dark entity. Umbrella boy reached over to hold her steady, but she swatted his help away, too focused on the priest who stood where the miasma was the thickest. The stubborn holy man was trying to reach for his ōnusa, which he had accidentally dropped, in an attempt to finish the ritual.

"MOVE TANAKA-SAN!" she found herself yelling, just as the wall in front of him and part of the ceiling began to cave in. Branches from one of the overgrown trees outside came slithering into the building, seeming to be moving on their own and heading right for the priest, who had frozen in shock.

Without a second thought, Katsuo flicked her wrist and a wall of fire appeared between the man and the animated branches. Burning the bark, and offering enough time for Tanaka to start heading towards safety. As if attracted to the source of the fire, more branches broke through just left of her, one managing the wrap around her leg.

Having been too focused on trying to steady to himself to notice her act of pyrokinesis, Davis took her by the arm and used his foot to snap the branches' hold on her. "Come on!" he ordered with a seriousness that seemed foreign on him, as he lead her out the door, only a few steps behind Tanaka. Unsurprisingly, Takamura had fled the room at the first sight of trouble.

They found the plump realtor outside on the ground, gaping at the sight behind them. Pulling herself free from umbrella boy's grip, Katsuo turned back around to witness what had the grown man so spooked and frowned at the wreckage in front of them. Two of the old trees next to the shrine had collapsed into the building on either side, completely ruining the haiden. The fire she started had caught on abnormally quickly, spreading across all the wood like a wildfire. If one paid close enough attention they would see that everything was burning, but nothing was getting damaged.

"Kami..." Takamura squeezed out as a figure appeared in the doorway between the flames. It was a woman in a charred kimono, with hollow eyes and a sharp toothy grin.

Despite the protests of the others, Katsuo stepped closer, staring down the apparition with a deep frown. The ghostly woman's grin widened as she approached, crouching down as she displayed her talon-like fingers, ready to attack.

Pausing, still a good distance from the door, Katsuo took a deep breath and lifted her hands as they ignited in flames. Behind her, she heard the surprised gasps, but didn't pay them any mind as the tattered woman leapt at an inhuman speed in her direction.

A small smirk forming on her lips, Katsuo faced her palms in the entity's direction and watched in satisfaction as a pillar of fire erupted from her hands and slammed into the woman, causing her to tumble back into the burning building with a sickening crunch. Not too soon afterward, a screech rang out from inside, signaling that all she had succeeded in doing was pissing the thing off. Which she had expected.

Extinguishing her flaming arms, she tossed off her horrid blazer and heels, preparing to go back into the shrine. Before she could, however, umbrella boy caught her by the arm for the _second _time, much to her annoyance.

"Who _are_ you?"

* * *

**A/N:** Getting interesting yet? We'll dive _even deeper_ next chapter.

Word Key:

_torii_= shinto gate found at shrine's entrance.

_ch__ō__zubachi_= water-filled basin used to cleanse a person's hands and mouth.

_t__ōro_= decorative stone lanterns

_kagura-den_= where the kagura (spirit purification) dance was held.

_komainu_= lion-dog statues that guard the shrine.

_haiden_= hall of worship.

_ōnusa_= wooden wand attached to paper streamers. used in shinto rituals. in this case for purification.


	4. Chapter Four - Darkness

**A/N:** Well now… haven't updated this in forever. Haha. I've far from given up on this tho! I'm gonna try and be better at updating at least semi-regularly… definitely more frequently at the very least. Katsuo is a character I am very invested in, and as you get to know her more and more I'm sure you'll see why. Please enjoy this chapter that's been two years in the making. Hah.

* * *

**Chapter Four** \- _Darkness_

**Time: January 2001**

Katsuo did not intimately know the meaning of the word family. It had never been something that she cared to acknowledge, and since she'd never had one she did not feel it was necessary to try… or at least… that had been her intention… but at age nine, it was to become one that she would come to know in it's purest sense.

For better or for worse.

At that time she had been finally allowed to leave the compound to observe a world she had never gotten to properly experience. At first, it was mostly used to test her ability to sense in a real world environment, but the more time she spent in the outside world, the more leeway she was given.

Just being born was never a guarantee that a person was allowed to live their life. To be alive was seen as a gift… but to live a life was most certainly a privilege that she had never been privy to. This was true even before her time with the Clan… and so she did not know how it felt to take such a thing for granted.

Connections to people were fragile, fickle things. This Katsuo had observed first hand throughout her young life.

Plenty of people had outstretched their hands to her only to retract them almost immediately. She had learned, at such a delicate stage of life, that people were not to be trusted… but more importantly that people could not be trusted around her.

Everyone who she had ever known only dealt with her out of necessity, and for that she could not fault them. She was the type of child that adults feared.

Even in the Clan, surrounded by others like herself, Katsuo stood out for that very reason.

Saitou, Unkai was the first person in her life that she'd felt a connection to. Unlike the others, he was not intimidated by her, nor did he seem to fear her. During his first encounter with her... she remembered him smiling.

However, even he had his reasons.

An obligation to the Headmaster.

Saitou-san had acted as her guide from the moment she entered under the wardship of the Clan. He headed her academic lessons and instructed her on how the world worked. Should she have felt close to anyone within the compound, it stood to reason it would have been to him.

Katsuo was a special case. An anomaly.

Most joined the Clan later in life by choice… but she was taken in at a young age. Katsuo didn't remember much outside of being there. She lived and breathed it, and knew little of much else. And so, it was no surprise that one-day Katsuo found herself stopped by the sight of something… _different_ than what she was used to seeing.

Not far from her stood three people: one man, one woman, and one small child (of which perhaps was only a few years younger than herself). They walked together hand in hand, and despite the biting chill of the snowy air they looked... warm.

The child, a young girl, smiled brightly between her parents… not a care in the world.

Katsuo paused and stared unblinkingly at the scene. Saitou-san's presence beside her looming and silent as she watched the trio continue down the sidewalk.

It was almost as if they were in their own little world away from everything… as if just being in each other's presence made them content.

A feeling hit her then that she wouldn't be able to identify at that moment, but what would later reveal to be envy. One for a happiness she'd never felt.

"They live in a delusion," her mentor had told her, breaking the silence between them as he seemed to read her thoughts. His voice wasn't outright judgmental, but there was slight disapproval in his tone. "One that you cannot afford."

"Why?" she asked, whatever innocence she had left showing up in that moment as she stared into the lenses of his dark sunglasses.

He bent forward slightly, his red eyes peering over the frame of his shades as he regarded her with her with a serious expression. "Because the world is full of darkness, and those who try to ignore that, or go against it, are swallowed by it," he explained, and she took in his words like a sponge. "The darkness is something that must be acknowledged to be controlled." She trusted what he said to be true because darkness was all that she had ever known.

"Happiness is merely an illusion that will eventually go away," he added simply, standing back to his full height. Katsuo nodded at this, as she did with any other lesson, and they continued to their destination in silence.

Secretly, however, the image of the small family stayed with her and she couldn't stop herself from staring at Saitou-san's gloved hand, wondering how it would feel to reach out and hold on.

* * *

**May 2001**

It was by sheer coincidence that Katsuo found the family again.

Saitou-san had business to attend to, and so she had been left to her own devices. It wasn't unusual for her mentor to disappear when they were out. Since she was used to being alone, this didn't bother her. Though there were times when she toyed with the notion of him ever coming back for her at all.

That train of thought had turned into a bit of a game for her. Each time he left, she'd wander further and further from her initial spot and then would wait to see if he'd find her.

No matter how far she went or which way she turned, he always caught up to her and for a child used to be abandoned and left forgotten… it was reassuring to see his tall figure stroll into view. Spotting his white hair from a far began to become a comfort.

In the middle of such antics, Katsuo happened to pass by a public park one evening. Normally she might have walked by without a second thought, but she stopped at the sight of the same family she'd seen that day in the snow.

As strange as it was for her to remember them, she did.

Quite vividly, in fact.

Most of the time when she saw a family, Katsuo could pick out their flaws. She could see the unhappiness lying just underneath. And yet… while no family was perfect… there was just something about the three of them that made her feel that this was what an ideal family looked like.

And so, taking a seat on a bench, Katsuo found herself watching them from afar.

There was nothing particularly spectacular about the way they'd chosen to spend their time. If the girl's father wasn't pushing her on the swing, then the girl's mother was helping her across the monkey bars… and when the adults had their fill of exercise they watched the child frolic on her own at a safe distance.

It should have looked utterly boring, but for some reason, the three of them looked so… _content_. To see a family so in the moment with one another, and so willing to spend their free time together in what looked like genuine happiness was…

It was… strange.

A lot of Katsuo's past before the Clan was a blur to her, but the warmth that she saw emanating from these happy people was something she was sure she had never witnessed. Looking at the three of them, Katsuo couldn't help but think for the first time that perhaps her tutor had not been completely right. That, perhaps, for some people… happiness was very much a real thing.

Though, this was not a thought that crossed her mind overnight.

Every few days when Saitou-san found himself busy, Katsuo came to that same park. The family was not alway there, but when they were she watched them.

At first it was only briefly, but eventually, her stays grew longer and longer. She saw in them a life that perhaps she could have had. It got her thinking about what it would have been like if she hadn't been an orphan… If she'd had parents who had loved her as much as those girl's parents seemed to obviously love their daughter.

It was strange to think of, and even stranger to picture.

It was a life that wasn't fit for someone like her.

* * *

**July 2001**

Eventually, Katsuo's role of a silent observer would change one hot summer's day, when after playing a game of soccer the young girl's ball rolled off course.

Katsuo watched, with a slight anxiety she had never felt before, as the ball came toward her and lightly bounced off of her shoe, stopping just before her.

That anxiety grew as the owner of the ball pranced over, clearly coming to retrieve it. Her short brown hair bobbed up and down as she came toward her with no hesitation. _Too trusting_, Katsuo thought as the child instantly beamed at her, holding out her hands expectantly for the ball to be returned.

"Sorry!" she apologized cheekily, her face flushed from running.

Blinking from her trance at the word, Kastuo picked up the ball and handed it to her. If possible the girl's grin widened, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was possible for a smile to be that bright. She had watched the girl smile plenty, of course, but it had never been aimed at her before. It was a bit disarming.

Strangely enough, their interaction didn't end there. Instead of running back to her awaiting parents, the girl stayed and stared. Unsure of the reasoning behind it, Katsuo stared back.

"Pretty," the younger child said after a few moments and naturally Katsuo found herself caught off guard. Her confusion must have shown on her face because to clarify, the girl pointed to her right eye. "It's pretty."

The older girl flushed instantly, having not realized that (though her eye was covered by her bangs) because of the child's shorter stature her red iris was visible to her… and also, her eye had been called many things but pretty had never been one of them.

Not noticing Katsuo's uncomfortable and flustered face, the brown haired child continued, "I'm Mai! Wanna play with us?" She worded it like a question, but without even waiting for an answer Mai took her by the hand and pulled her over to the field. "She wants to play!" she told her father, who looked between the two of them with amusement.

Highly confused, Katsuo wanted to express the fact that she had _not_ agreed to participate, but her mouth failed to form the words as both parents looked her over with interest. It felt odd being looked at by the same people that she had spent the better part of a few months watching… and so she grew cold feet.

"The more the merrier!" the girl's father grinned, making it obvious where the bright smile gene came from.

The girl's mother nodded in agreement, not at all bothered by the idea. "What's your name, sweety?"

Whiplash was a good way to describe the feeling that came over her to it all. Perhaps it was the shock of how quickly they accepted her… or how distractingly bright they all were… but she found herself answering with an embarrassingly timid, "K-Katsuo."

She had never played… well, anything before, really, but it did not take her long to pick up the simple mechanics of it. Joining in felt… strange. Different but…

Well, she wasn't exactly sure how to describe it.

Whatever the case, Mai seemed more than a little impressed with her athletic ability. Likely because it contrasted greatly with her own. The brown haired girl was rather bumbly and clumsy, but despite her shortcomings, she never stopped smiling. Katsuo couldn't fathom her.

Towards the end of their game, Mai's clumsiness caused the two younger girls to collide into one another and topple over. Breathless, Katsuo's green and red eyes stared up into big brown ones with both shock and slight annoyance. Without reason, Mai broke into a fit of giggles… and as if they were contagious her parents joined in.

As they were helped up, Katsuo couldn't help but crack the smallest of smiles, her whole being feeling a lightness that she had never experienced. She was having… fun.

It was like a dream.

But then Mai's father pointed over her shoulder and said, "I think your father's here to get you," bringing her back into reality. She didn't have a father, but it didn't take much to know who he'd meant.

Going rigid almost instantly, she cursed herself for being too distracted to sense his presence nearing. Turning, she saw Saitou-san standing off to the side of the park, staring right at her. His dark jacket and glasses making him stand out in the hot summer son.

"I have to go," she said instantly, because even though he gave off an air of indifference Katsuo knew better.

Mai made a sound of exaggerated disappointment but gave her a hug that she was not prepared for. "You have to come back and play again soon, ok?"

With big puppy dog eyes staring at her, Katsuo had no choice but to lay a hand on the girl's head and give her a promise she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep. Satisfied, Mai released her, and she steeled these new emotions inside of her as she headed over to her mentor's side.

As soon as she stopped in front of him, he glanced over her shoulder with a frown. "Will this become a habit?"

"No," she assured him.

* * *

**August 2001**

It became a habit.

For two weeks she had managed to keep away from the park. Partly due to her training, and partly due to her own will.

She tried to keep her mind on more important matters… but her thoughts always went back to that family.

They had made her feel included, and she had liked it. For as long as she could remember it was all she had ever wanted, and for a while, the Clan had been the closest thing to it she had ever believed that she'd get.

So to have finally felt what she had longed for… Katsuo couldn't help but want to be a little greedy and feel it again.

She was not supposed to make relationships outside of the Clan because it threatened discovery and made things complicated. She knew the rules and she knew why they were in place… but she was only a child and children longed for connections to other people.

And so, Katsuo found herself coming back to the park… and every time she did she spent time with Mai and her family.

Everything in her screamed not to get attached, but the longer she interacted with them, the more she wondered if this was what it would be like to have a family of her own… a mother, a father, a sister… The more time she shared with them the harder it was to leave.

She always did though. Timing it perfectly before Saitou-san found her there.

The Taniyama family (she would later find out that was their name) were probably the warmest people Katsuo had ever met.

Mai was always smiling and seemed to cling to her like glue. She asked a lot of questions, especially when it became clear that Katsuo was very smart for a child of her age. Because she was clumsy she tripped often, so she always seemed to have more than one bandage littering her body. It became such a frequent occurrence that Katsuo's own body became conditioned to catch her the moment she started to trip.

Mai's mother, on the other hand, was very kind but also very stubborn, and insisted on feeding her whatever it was they'd brought with them that day no matter how many times Katsuo said it wasn't necessary. Over time, the woman began packing things specifically for her, a detail that touched her heart to the point where she nearly started to cry… much to the surprise and panic of all three Taniyamas who did everything in their power to make her smile again.

Mai's father was very much the most energetic and optimistic of them all. He was very much a child trapped inside the body of a man and insisted the day wasn't over until everyone was having a good time. If life could be personified… Katsuo was sure that he'd be it. It was no question that he was a man that held a lot of love within him and Mai took after him a great deal.

It did not take long for the Taniyamas to treat her as if she was one of their own… and as happy as it made her it also confused her to no end.

Like Mai, her parents did not shutter away from her red eye. Mai's mother, in particular, called it beautiful and pinned Katsuo's hair back with the insistence that it was not a feature she should hide. Mai's father called her special for it and expressed that such a uniqueness meant she was likely destined for something great.

To hear such things about a feature that had caused her so much pain had filled Katsuo's heart with a warmth she had never experienced… but at the same time… the attention they gave her also hurt… because Katsuo was sure that if they knew what she could do and what her red eye could see… then they would no longer want to be around her.

Of this Katsuo was sure, if only because it had been the case for so long.

Truly, she should have left the family for their own good, since tragedy struck those around her no matter where she was…

And yet…

Katsuo did not want to let go of this feeling, of this sense of belonging.

Satou-san had warned her not to care for others and of the dangers of happiness, but Katsuo wanted to believe that he was wrong.

Surely such a bright family was too cemented in the light for the darkness to touch them, and if that were the case then maybe spending time with them like this would allow her to step from out of the shadows that had held a hold over her for her whole life.

* * *

**November 2001**

Darkness always wins… and when two weeks went by without the Taniyama's coming to the park, Katsuo should have known better than to expect any different.

Another two weeks passed and she had also given up on seeing them ever again. She had thought, that perhaps, maybe they had grown tired of her presence… but she had grown to know them well enough to know that could not be true.

But perhaps it would have been better than the truth.

When Katsuo finally saw the three again she could tell from afar that something was off.

They were not smiling as brightly usual, if even at all. Mai swung on her swing with an air of melancholy that Katsuo had never seen on her before, and the air around her mother was not much better as she pushed her daughter to help her swing. The worse, however, was the look on Mai's father's face.

He looked as if he was in complete anguish. He stood by his family with outstretched arms as if he wanted to touch them… but did not.

It only took a moment, but she realized she needed to correct herself.

He _could_ not. He wasn't able to because…

He was dead.

Rocked to the core by her discovery, Katsuo's world spun on its axis and she became nauseous. Unable to move another step she fell to her knees, her sight blurring.

Mai and her mother finally seemed to notice her arrival because they were at her side in a matter of moments. The woman asked if she was alright, but Katsuo was unable to answer as she choked on her own breath. One look at the expression on her face and Mai's mother seemed to realize that she knew… and while she was confused as to how such a thing was possible, it did not stop the mother from enveloping Katsuo in a tight embrace.

Mai soon followed suit and the three females found themselves locked in each other's arms, and while Katsuo was not used to such a thing, her body reacted on its own and hugged the two of them back. Her finger dug into their clothes, and she found herself never wanting to let them go. If she did she'd lose them too, wouldn't she?

In the end, she had to… as she had to leave before she was found by her mentor. Mai and her mother promised to start coming to the park again, but Katsuo knew it wouldn't be the same.

She watched them leave first and wasn't surprised when the ghost of Mai's father stayed. She stared at him, and he stared back, neither of them making a sound. Eventually, he stepped closer, and knelt in front of her, a small smile gracing his pained face.

"You can see me…" it wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway. Usually, she pretended not to see specters, if only because it invited them to harass her… but he was different. He meant something to her.

"I told you it was special," he half laughed, glancing at her red eye with a sad fondness that would never stop surprising her. She felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes and he frowned, seeing the sadness she held. "I'm sorry…" he told her and instantly she was confused. He had no reason to apologize… and yet he was starting to cry as well. "I'm so sorry."

The back of her throat burned, but Katsuo pushed herself to speak. "It's not your fault you died."

He half laughed again and wiped his face. "Even so."

A silence fell between them, and she watched the ghost get lost within his own thoughts. Instantly she became worried for him. He was a wandering spirit and that made him vulnerable to corruption. "You should move on," she pressed with an urgency that did not belong in the mouth of a child.

He sighed, torn. "Just… a little longer…" he insisted, "I want to be with them a little longer."

Katsuo understood him… his want was to be with his loved ones for as long as he could. However, he should move on while his spirit was still pure. If he were to become corrupted he would lose his chance… and likely become food for a demon.

She could have done it right then… She could have used all she'd been trained to do and she could have forced his soul to pass on…

But she understood… and she cared too much.

"A week," she stressed, wiping away her own tears. "Any longer and your soul will be in danger."

He nodded once, giving her a wide smile that told her he was thankful for the warning, and then he was gone.


End file.
